Kenwood Supreme 700M (1979)
The Kenwood Supreme 700M is a monoblock power amplifier from the late 1970s. It belongs to Kenwood's flagship Supreme series, which also included the Model 600, Model 700, and Model 800. These are massive amplifiers with dual toroidal transformers, rated at 300 watts each into 8 ohms. Kenwood considered it its ultimate statement in amplification at the time. The 700M is listed among Kenwood's "Legendary Products," and one German source calls it the manufacturer's first large power amplifier and possibly the highest-quality unit Kenwood ever produced. The same source calls it "the milestone and the birth of Accuphase," a reference to the design team's involvement.
The record on this model is thin in places. No original price, dimensions, or weight are documented, and detailed specs beyond the power rating are scarce. A period listing claims 170 watts per channel into 8Ω with 0.1% THD and a damping factor of 40. Those figures conflict with the 300-watt rating in the main fact sheet. The lower figure may reflect a stereo configuration or a different revision. Some sources date the 700M to 1977, while the fact sheet says 1979. A Japanese listing gives a retail price of 300,000 yen. One German-language source notes that, besides being Kenwood's first large power amp, the 700M is "probably also one of the highest quality Kenwood ever made."
The 700M was typically paired with the Kenwood 700C preamplifier. Complete sets in good condition have been listed in Europe for €7,000-9,000. Owner opinions split sharply. Some call it a rare, top-tier audiophile-grade model with true analog sound. One critic argues it has a high noise floor, weak damping factor, and slew rate, and says the general specs are worse than the KA-7300, which "actually sounds better with most speakers."
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